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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · mine · squash · mouse · stock · board · cabinet · march

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. march — the month
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. march — the month
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. net — for catching
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. march — music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mine — for digging
  14. net — after costs
  15. stock — goods
  16. net — in sport
  17. board — a committee
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. stock — shares
  23. board — to get on
  24. squash — the sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com